Resident fondly remembers vibrant Canada Day celebrations in Paris

To the Editor:

This past July 1st , I took a walk down to the park where for many years a lot of floats lined up to start the CANADA DAY parade - they were great days with bands & happy people. Not anymore! Dale has passed on hoping someone would take his place – that was NOT to be.

Yes, it was work (organizing Canada Day), but it was fun to show people we are proud of our town & our countryand the people in it – what a sad day in Paris!

Gwen Maidens

Gwen Maidens, long-time activist in the Paris Canada Week celebrations hands out balloons and Canadian flags to children along the route of the town’s Canada Day parade. Gwen’s daughter Tina Lyons shares: My father, Dale, was the one who got Canada Day Parades started back in the 1980s, then handed that over to Chuck Mart and chaired the committee that ran Canada Week for years. My Dad served in the RCAF, and we traveled all over Canada, France and Germany with the RCAF. Him and Mom are very proud Canadians who loved to celebrate the joy of living in this wonderful country.

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